Monday, March 31, 2008

Peter Hannan is a writer, producer, and artist. He is the creator and executive producer of the Nickelodeon animated series, "CatDog," overseeing all aspects (writing, storyboarding, character design, art direction, post-production) of a hundred and twenty-something 11-minute episodes and holiday specials. He produced "Fetch," the "CatDog" theatrical short and a ninety-minute TV movie called "CatDog and the Great Parent Mystery." He wrote and sang the "CatDog" theme song, which he will sing for you even if you don't want him to. He wrote many other songs for the series, five of which are included on "The Newest Nicktoons" from Kid Rhino.

Next up is a picture book and another series of middle-grade illustrated novels—also for HarperCollins—called Wally, King of Flurb in which an Earth kid is abducted by aliens and taken to the planet Flurb, where—to his utter amazement—instead of being eaten or at least vaporized, he is proclaimed king.

Hannan wrote and illustrated The Sillyville Saga: Sillyville or Bust, Escape from Camp Wannabarf, School After Dark: Lessons in Lunacy, and The Battle of Sillyville: Live Silly or Die! He contributed stories to the anthologies Speak! Children's Illustrators Brag About Their Dogs and Purr! Children's Illustrators Brag About Their Cats. He has written and illustrated newspaper and magazine pieces with titles like "The Incredible Shrinking Christmas;" "The Good, the Bad, and the Irish;" and "Mike Royko Moves to the Suburbs." He has done lots of illustrations for newspapers, magazines, books, and advertising. His single-panel cartoons (The Adventures of a Huge Mouth) have appeared in Harper's, Esquire, the Chicago Reader, many other periodicals, and in a book from Chicago Review Press. He has exhibited his paintings, illustrations, and cartoons. His work has been transformed into everything from toys to T-shirts to cheese crackers.

He grew up on the Erie Canal in upstate New York, where he had a three-legged dog, named Tipper, who once got his front paw caught in his collar and ran home using two legs on the same side of his body. Hannan lives in sunny California with his perfect wife and kids, except when it's rainy California and then they get kinda pruney.

How did you come to this point in your career?

When I came out of college I had a vague romantic notion of being a painter, but I really had no plan. Actually, that's not true...my plan was to be a starving artist. And for a while I had great success at that.

On the side I did everything from manage a revival movie theater to produce TV shows with Chicago blues musicians. I had a partner and we shot concerts with Muddy Waters, Albert King, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, and many others, and tried to produce other TV stuff, but none of it led to what you'd call financial gain.

Then I got married and we were expecting our first child and it occurred to me that there might be certain advantages to actually making money. I got together a portfolio of illustration and started doing lots of editorial work for magazines and newspapers, some advertising work, and then a single-panel cartoon called the Adventures of a Huge Mouth for the Chicago Reader and subsequently lots of other periodicals around the country.

Then I did some kids' books, one of which---Escape From Camp Wannabarf--got optioned as a feature film and was in development for several years. It never got made, but since I'd gotten a Hollywood agent, I started pitching movies and TV shows.

This eventually led to CatDog and moving to Los Angeles. It was a wild, fantastic experience because I went from working alone in a dungeon-like studio in the basement of my Chicago house, to having a huge crew in Burbank--and another in Seoul--all working to realize my vision. TV is a hugely collaborative process, but similar to the newspaper business with its crazy deadlines and frenetic energy.

Anyway, since then I've developed lots of shows, and I'm working on some new TV things now, but writing and illustrating these chapter books (Super Goofballs and Wally, King of Flurb) has been sort of a welcome homecoming to the more sane and solitary world of a writer-illustrator. No crazed crewmembers or hysterical network execs (don’t get me wrong, I love them all)…just me in a room with a computer, a big jar of pencils, and a great editor three thousand miles away.

Joe Hemingmouse is a weekly single-panel cartoon about a hardworking, hard-struggling writer-illustrator mouse, who wants desperately to break into the children's book world. He is talented, but he really doesn't know what he doing. His confidence level can go from supreme to zero in two seconds.

How did you come to be doing this?

I stumbled upon JacketFlap and really liked it. Tracy [Grand, CEO of JacketFlap (interview)] and I exchanged a few emails, and she asked if I'd be interested in creating some content for the site. I immediately thought of doing a single-panel because, since the site is all about writers and illustrators, I thought it would be perfect to combine words and pictures in a bite-sized package. Plus, I missed doing this kind of thing.

What can readers expect?

I'm not completely sure where Joe Hemingmouse's journey will lead. I know the road will get a little rocky along the way, because it does for almost everyone.

What do you love about this kind of project?

I love that Joe really wants something. He is absolutely driven. He is naïve and will make lots of mistakes, but he will never, ever, ever give up. He may be an undiscovered genius or just a dreamer or both. I love being able to develop a character like this…revealing him little by little, not just to readers, but to me and even to Joe himself.

What are its challenges?

Time is always a challenge. That's one of the hardest things about all this stuff---figuring out when to work on what. I've got a lot on my plate now, but I really love doing this cartoon and there's tons of material—from real life and almost-real life—to go on indefinitely.

Congratulations on the Super Goofballs series (HarperCollins, 2007-)! What was your initial inspiration for creating these books? What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?

Back in the early nineties, I did a book proposal called "A Few Superheroes You've Probably Never Heard Of." It didn't get published---I only really showed it to one editor—but all these years later I came back to it and changed the name to Super Goofballs.

It's about a superhero kid (Amazing Techno Dude) and his crazy-but-loving superhero grandma (the Bodacious Backwards Woman), who are flat broke and need to take in roommates. They end up taking in lots of borders---all ridiculous superheroes.

Originally, one of the characters was a two-headed guy called Amazing Catdog Man. He had a man's body with a cat and dog head on its shoulders. He/they would try to save the day, but never succeeded because they couldn't stop fighting with each other.

I fell in love with the idea of opposite personalities stuck together in one character and that eventually led to a little detour called CatDog.

What advice do you have for beginning writers? For beginning artists? For beginning goofballs?

A lot of my advice tends to be a bit clichéd, but sometimes clichés exist for a reason. Working for yourself in these kinds of creative fields is really like perpetually looking for a job. It can be nerve-racking, and it's not for everyone. But it can be very rewarding.

The main thing is to know that rejection is part of the package. You need to look at rejection as your friend and use it as fuel to fight back and fight on. Because no matter who you are, most of what you think up will never see the light of day, at least not immediately. You need to keep drawing, writing, acting, singing, whatever.

Don’t get hung up on one dream project and then ram your head against the wall forever. That'll just give you a bad headache. Keep the ideas flowing—why have one dream project when you have multiple dreams?

I have always been a compulsive scribbler, and I have sketchbooks full of ideas for stories and characters and projects. Never throw anything away. Things have a curious way of resurfacing.

Plus, I think you need an agent who loves your work and is comfortable---more comfortable than you---in singing your praises. Self-promotion is more unseemly and time-consuming than having someone else do it for you. And the agent needs to be well connected and have real relationships with real editors and publishers.

Part of it is also figuring out what you can do that others can't…how you are uniquely suited to tell particular stories and/or make particular art. When I first started doing illustration, I tried to figure out what people wanted and then put that into my portfolio.

One day I realized that if I succeeded, the dream would have turned into a nightmare: I'd have plenty of work doing something that I didn't care about or even really want to do. From that day forward I have tried to do it my way…in art, writing, books, TV, etc. It hasn’t always worked…but, luckily, sometimes it has.

What can your fans look forward to next?

Super Goofballs #5: Doomed in Dreamland is next. In this one, Dr. Killdream is out to single handedly destroy the dreams, daydreams, and hopes and dreams of all the Goofballs and—oh right—all of mankind. Then there’s Super Goofballs #6: Battle of the Brain-sucking Robots in which The Big Bad Blob of Blah, a vile villain of vast proportions, is hell-bent on enforcing worldwide conformity and despises anyone who dares to be different. Clearly the Super Goofballs are a threat to his worldview.

Right now I’m working on the first book in my new series Wally, King of Flurb and a picture book and a few TV and other projects I can't talk about yet.

Friday, March 28, 2008

From the promotional copy: "Will Corrine make a deal with the dark Fey Prince? Corrine and her friends race to London, in the hopes of finding a rathstone that will help them end this terrible war with the Fey. The girls search the Victorian city only to find that their plan has led to more danger than ever before. With the girls' lives on the line, the Fey Prince offers Corrine a deal: become his consort and her friends can go in peace. Will Corrine fall into the Fey Prince's arms to save her friends? Or can she find another way?"

Need to catch up first? Enter to win a copy of By Venom's Sweet Sting (Mirrorstone, 2007). To enter, email me with your name and snail/street mail address by 10 p.m. CST April 30! Please also type "By Venom's Sweet Sting" in the subject line. Note: one copy will be awarded to any Cynsations YA reader, and one copy will be awarded to a member of Tantalize Fans Unite! at MySpace. Please identify yourself accordingly as part of your entry!

Blog Book Tours by Elizabeth O. Dulemba Note: previously published in the September-October 2007 SCBWI Bulletin. Here's a sneak peek: "Blog book tours are suddenly quite popular as a quick, inexpensive way for famous (or not so famous) authors to get the word out about their new releases to an exponentially growing audience." Note: Elizabeth also has launched Coloring Page Tuesdays for those of you looking for fun!

Presenting Carrie Jones, from Tori at Journey of an Inquiring Mind. Here's a sneak peek: "The first non-poetry writing I remember was a MASSIVE Star Trek story of 200-plus pages that I wrote the summer before fifth grade. I wrote it for my brother, because I didn't have enough money to buy him something cool like golf balls for his birthday." Learn more about Carrie's latest release, Love and Other Uses for Duct Tape (Flux, 2008). Read a Cynsations interview with Carrie.

Blog Book Tour with illustrator Elizabeth O. Dulemba on Paco and the Giant Chili Plant, written by Keith Polette (Raven Tree, 2008). From the promotional copy: Paco and the Giant Chil Plant / Paco y la planta de chile gigante is a bilingual (English/Spanish) embedded text picture book with all the fun of a fairy tale twisted into a humorous variation. Based on the classic 'Jack and the Bean Stalk' fairy tale, Polette uses the desert Southwest as an unexpected setting. Filled with prickly pears and such, our story moves from the sandy earth into a cloudy domain where anything is possible." Check out tie-in activities! See also Elizabeth's blog for her recent interviews with Kerry Madden, Karen Lee, Alan Gratz, Kim Norman, and more!

Presenting Melissa Marr, also from Tori at Journey of an Inquiring Mind. Here's a sneak peek: "The type of faeries I'm interested in are the ones from old lore: complex characters with sometimes impenetrable motivations, moody faeries with volatile tempers, faeries who play with semantics when they speak." Learn more about Melissa's latest release, Ink Exchange (HarperCollins, 2008). Read a Cynsations interview with Melissa.

Tips on Writing: Making the Most of Your Writing Group by Jo Knowles. Here's a sneak peek: "I say responding because I think this is much more helpful to the writer than 'critiquing.' After a person reads, let the responders take a minute or two of quiet time to gather thoughts and take notes. This can be torture for the writer waiting to hear what people thought, but I think it's worth it to let people take a minute to, well, think." Read a Cynsations interview with Jo. Source: Devas T Rants and Raves.

Johnston to Start New Imprint at S&S: "Allyn Johnston is joining Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing as v-p and publisher of a yet-to-be named imprint, effective immediately. Her imprint, which will concentrate on picture books and middle-grade fiction, will be located in San Diego." Congratulations, Allyn! Source: Publishers Weekly.

The Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers: "focused on using story as a means of conveying traditional and contemporary values and ideals, as well as articulating the need and desire for Native people to create their own paths and visions. We look to help increase leadership capacity in Native youth and Native communities. Ideally, we, as Native People, need to find our own way, develop our own leaders, ensure that our stories are told--past, present, and future--for all time." Note: it was an honor to be named, along with Joy Harjo, a 2001 Wordcraft Writer of the Year--Children's Literature for Rain Is Not My Indian Name (HarperCollins, 2001). Note: scroll for list of more honorees. Source: Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children's Literature, who has been named a Writer of the Year for her work on that blog.

And don't miss today's interview with author/SCBWI Bologna planner Erzsi Deak, who says, "Putting on a conference is great fun, in that you get immediate gratification. If you are an organization freak like I am, one who finds pleasure in checking things of to-do lists, then by all means, organize a conference. In fact, send me your resume!"

The Mildred L. Batchelder Award: "a citation awarded to an American publisher for a children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally published in a foreign language in a foreign country, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United States."

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Erzsi Deak (pronounced "aire-zshee"); "Erzsi" is a Hungarian diminutive for "Elizabeth" (like "Beth" or "Betty"). She grew up believing that "Deak" meant "royal scribe," but learned a few years ago that it's closer to "Clark" or "Clerk." The royal blood was good while it lasted. A journalist for more than twenty years, Erzsi has covered fashion and children's features from Alaska to San Francisco to Paris. She has tramped the Alaska Pipeline looking for environmental problems, worked as a camp counselor managing the craft hut, and has always worked as a writer. Words, her children, husband, and puppy Bingley, are her life.

My impatience with adult literature. Somehow, the majority of the time I'm reading a book destined for "big people," I find myself groaning and reaching for the Xacto knife: Cut! Cut! Cut! Youth literature doesn't have the luxury of being flabby or poorly written--I'm definitely a reader that won't wander through the mire, waiting around for the story to grab me.

I find with the books I actually finish are generally for the under-18s, tightly written and exquisitely edited to bring the story, the characters, the voice right up front and keep me reading straight through to the end.

That said, even in my teens, when I worked at what I recall was called the Northern Lights Bookstore in Fairbanks, I was buying and collecting children's picture books, so my passion has been around for a long time.

Could you tell us about your path to publication, any bumps or stumbles along the way?

Bruises, maybe? Seriously, I had worked as a published journalist doing feature articles--travel, fashion, food, children's topics--and editor for years and knew that I had no choice but to work with words and that it wasn't the simplest of career choices.

I started writing fiction in my twenties for adults. I didn't submit anything at that time; I was writing ad copy for Macy's California and freelancing for small Northern California newspapers then, but I kept working on the fiction.

After I had children, often a genre turning point, I was working part-time as a Chemical Price Reporter and writing stories any other minute free that I had--having zero time is a great way to stay focused! Those stories are still in the proverbial desk drawer, though I have reworked one and I hope to see it come out as a successful quiet picture book in the not-too-distant future.

But the bumps and the stumbles... Coming also from advertising, I employed gimmicks that were not appreciated and quoted my children's love of my work (don't groan!).

And then I joined SCBWI. Joining was a big deal. I may be a doer, but I'm not a joiner, so this was major. But by doing so and launching the SCBWI France chapter, I managed to put myself through my own version of graduate school and came out knowing so much more about the business of children's publishing.

Getting to actual publication with Period Pieces: Stories for Girls (HarperCollins)(anthologists interview) took two years from the inception of the book and five years from my getting involved with the SCBWI and children's books in a real way. The journey was worth it, and I'm happy to see it continuing.

What are you working on now? Any goals for the coming year?

Besides the material that I have out with editors, I'm working on the sequel to a graphic novel, the prequel to a middle-grade novel, a number of picture books that are almost ready to go, a couple of easy-reader collections, an easy-reader series... I'm working out the details on a YA novel that started as a short story and also what it is I'm trying to do with my Alaskan adventure story and another mystery.

I'd like to do a follow-up to Period Pieces and see it go to paper. This is a book that's usually checked-out of the library when I do random searches, so I'd like to make sure kids can also find it in a bookstore. Editing Period Pieces with Kristin Litchman was high point for me -- it was great working with all those terrifically talented authors and the wonderful editor Rosemary Brosnan.

Writing short stories and working on anthologies is good fun, and I was happy to have my story, "Wild Strawberries" accepted into the anthology, Lines in the Sand: New Writings on War & Peace (Frances Lincoln, UK, & The Disinformation Company, US). "Wild Strawberries" was such a pleasure to write, I might do more with that story--especially considering the state of the world today.

Goals for the coming year? To tie up all wandering plot lines and buckle down with the historical YA for the summer.

You're based in Paris. Do you have any particular insights to share about the European children's book community?

The main thing to note is that there are some absolutely gorgeous books being made here. Stunning, really. We hope to share some of these with the attendees at the SCBWI Bologna Biennial Conference in March 2008. It's good to remember that the center of the universe is a moving target, if not merely subjective!

You're the International Chairperson for SCBWI and an organizing force behind SCBWI Bologna! What does all this involve?

Insanity would be the first thought that comes to mind. But if you are really on top of it, a fabulous Worker Bee Bonnet, because that's what it takes: work.

The benefits are terrific, and I love the people I've met in the course of the last five years working on the Bologna conference, but my own writing has suffered from lack of attention.

Putting on a conference is great fun, in that you get immediate gratification. If you are an organization freak like I am, one who finds pleasure in checking things of to-do lists, then by all means, organize a conference. In fact, send me your resume!

It involves a certain vision, I suppose. And I can thank Bridget Strevens-Marzo, my longtime conference-organizing partner for sharing the same vision and working with me over the years to bring it to life: Bringing Quality Children's Book Creators and Publishers together to talk shop, share, expand their horizons, cross borders, challenge the norm, and work together. The idea is to keep us all on our toes and thinking--creatively and broadly.

What inspired you to take on these jobs?

I took on the Advisor position for France when I launched the region because I was looking for a community of like-minded people. It's lonely being a writer or an illustrator and being a mom in a foreign country can be pretty lonely, too.

I have to say that my best friends here are those I've met following this path. It's true, I couldn't live without them--they make me feel part of something, read my silly fifth drafts, send me Facebook drinks or sheep when I get a rejection or some form of mediocre news, and they jump for joy when the good news comes in. So the idea of community would be the first reason.

I took on the International Advisor Chair role for the SCBWI to keep the global vision alive. Living outside the U.S., one realizes there's more than just the U.S. in the world though you can't debate that it's the biggest children's book publishing market, even considering China's population.

I wanted to bring these other countries and their literary voices out into the limelight. We've been lucky because Steve Mooser and Lin Oliver (president and executive director of the SCBWI) and the Board of Advisors have been very supportive of this growth of the SCBWI outside the U.S.

We are interested in helping writers, illustrators, and publishers in countries like Mongolia and Albania (just two examples) grow their writers, illustrators, and publishing houses.

There was a period when I was fed up with sharing information with people who "only" wanted to "get published"--these were people who just weren't listening, not putting in the time to learn the trade, work their craft. That was the point when I was happy to help local regions with less established children's publishing histories improve their lot, as-it-were. A noble moment!

What are their challenges?

Currently, I'm the International Advisor Chair, which is like being the director for non-U.S. chapters, or a godmother, and still on the Board of Advisors, and the Bologna Conference Organizer. They overlap a little in that we're talking the international world of children's books, but other than that, they are separate.

The challenges are: It's mostly about not doing too much. These are both volunteer positions, and as I said above, with immediate gratification, it's easy to get swept up in the doing and not in my own writing. As my mother, the psycho-therapist, would say, maintaining boundaries is an important challenge.

A concrete challenge is working with the regional advisors to surmount problems with local establishments that feel threatened by the development of the SCBWI in their country. I encourage the local advisors to view their mission to meet the needs of the local membership, working with the existing children's book groups or organizations. Convincing certain groups or individuals that we aren't out to steal their jobs or glory is a big challenge, as is convincing them that our goals are the same: producing great children's literature.

But little things like sharing information or the concept of networking aren't natural to all societies, so it's a huge challenge to work within and adapt to the different cultures without stepping on too many toes.

Generally speaking, the SCBWI's activities in local chapters provide continuing education in the form of talks, workshops, and critique groups. This usually differs with organizations like IBBY or other writers'/illustrators' groups that act more as unions for their members.

And one of the greatest challenges is doing it all on a shoestring budget and keeping the price tag way down. Especially in countries where [average] annual salaries make children's books or belonging to a professional organization like the SCBWI a luxury.

What do you love about them?

For both positions, it returns to the community for me. The community is my major love. I love that I've connected with people around the world who share my passion for youth literature. I love when I see their work published at home and abroad. I love shouting about the great things the advisors are doing and the growth of the global community of children's writers and illustrators.

In the early days, I started SCBWI Expression OnLine, an online newsletter geared to the non-U.S. members around the world. Beaulah Taguiwalo took it over a few years ago and has turned it into a major resource for people on the tops of lonely peaks and others living in huge metropolises. How great is that to connect these people so that they don't feel alone? To know that somewhere in the world, whether five minutes away or 10,000 miles away, someone else is reading their words, sharing in their experience?

For the Conference Organizer job, it's about bringing together different people who might never have met and making a little magic happen. The Bologna Conference focuses on craft and passion for youth literature. That said, we're always happy to hear about a book sold or a contract made, of course, and we hope our efforts facilitate in creating long-lasting professional relationships and the best books possible.

Who are the other major contributors to the conference planning and organization? What are their roles?

Bridget Strevens-Marzo, as I've mentioned, is my primary partner in crime when it comes to both posts. Happily for me and the SCBWI membership (heck, the whole publishing world), she graciously agreed to take on the role of SCBWI International Illustrator Liaison and to co-organize the Bologna conference.

She is also on the SCBWI Board of Advisors and continues to create winning illustrations from perennials like Margaret Wild's Kiss, Kiss! (Little Hare, Aust. S&S US) to Philemon Sturges's How Do You Make A Baby Smile? (Harper, PW starred review) to the graphic The Big Book for Little Hands (Bayard, France/ Tate UK, British Book Design Award shortlist). Bridget writes and illustrates from France with publishers across the world, and her books come in many international co-editions. She could be the SCBWI's International Publishing Poster Child!

Kathleen Ahrens is the Advisor to Taiwan as well as my amazing assistant and conference coordinator. She has made my job a hundred million (no exaggeration) times easier and more fun, due to her organizational wunder-skills and her fabulous sense-of-humor. A linguist and a writer, in addition to coordinating the volunteer staff for the Conference, she is in charge of the schedule for the SCBWI Showcase, the program of events for the first-ever stand at the Bologna Children's Book Fair (Hall 26, stand 66).

Angela Cerrito won the Kimberly Colen Grant at the SCBWI NY conference in 2005 for her project in Poland and was suddenly on my radar. Since that time, she's moved from Italy to Germany, and we've stayed in contact. She continues to amaze me with her boundless energy, critique-group-building abilities and her can-do attitude. She's the major force behind the reserved individual critiques and informal critique groups as well as uniting the Bologna conference community in a Yahoo! group.

Anita Loughrey is a writer and blogger from the U.K. who has interviewed all the speakers for the conference. What with the number of speakers we have, it's no simple task interviewing busy people in a short amount of time! Proofreader and writer Claudia Classon helped make sense of a few conundrums in the interviews that will prevent much embarrassment for all of us!

In addition to these individuals, Doug Cushman created the gorgeous 2008 conference logo, really getting the feeling of Bologna--from the well-known Neptune Fountain in the Piazza Maggiore to the Bologna red-brown of the city's meandering covered archways.

His logo combined with the fabulous illustration by Marc Boutavant for the closing party invitation, make for a sophisticated yet playful look for the conference and the SCBWI in Bologna. We can't thank them both enough. We also appreciate Bayard coordinating with Marc to make the illustration possible. Marc Boutavant is co-creator with Emmanuel Guibert of the ARIOL comic book series published by Bayard Editions, France. I'm a major ARIOL groupie, so am also thrilled to have Ariol and his best friend Ramono with us in Bologna.

Happily, the Executive Office (in L.A.) has provided Web and registration support. In addition, we have Natalie Lorenzi coordinating the catering in Italian (so we eat what we think we're eating) and Jeanne de Sainte Marie serving as "bookstore manager." Jeanne was the only SCBWI member in France when I called to suggest we start a chapter and throw a "Literary Soirée" in Paris on a strike day. Bringing books from outside the country is always expensive and somewhat traumatic--we want to make the books available to the attendees and sell them for the speakers, but do not want everyone's suitcases to break the airport scales.

The main thing to know and remember about this, and all local SCBWI, events is that they are run by volunteers on volunteer energy. Nothing would happen without them. That brings us back to my obsession with Community...

How has the conference evolved over the years?

It's gone from one day to two very full days. The BolognaFiere has been incredibly supportive and generous in making the SCBWI Bologna Conference a reality. We hope by hosting the Conference, attendees will check-out the Fair and illustrators around the world will consider submitting to the esteemed illustration exhibit competition the Fair sponsors. Thank you, BolognaFiere!

Is there any thing you'd like to add?

This has been an incredible ride and I'm looking forward to the 2008 Conference, the Bologna Book Fair and the SCBWI Showcase. After that, I plan to take off that Worker Bee Bonnet, update my website, start a character-driven blog, and give the graphic novel and historical YA as much energy as I've given the SCBWI over the last twelve years!

Well, the truth of the matter is that I wasn't planning on this career at all. I was supposed to have an illustrious and exciting career as a Russian affairs analyst at the CIA. When my application was denied after a year of interviews, tests, medical exams, polygraphs, etc., I went for plan B., which was to stay in Boston and find a job in publishing. Adult publishing, because, after all, what did children's book editors really do anyway? Add a few periods here and there, and call it a day. Hardly challenging.

I couldn't have been more wrong, of course. And I couldn't have found a profession more right for me. I interviewed at Charlesbridge for the position of publisher's assistant, getting the job largely because the boss's daughter had also gone to my university and majored in Russian studies. The rest is history.

In your opinion, what makes a good editor?

A good editor possesses an analytical mind, fierce resolve, a creative streak, an intuitive sense of the marketplace, business acumen, and strong communication skills--able to negotiate office politics, manage and develop staff, and inspire and challenge authors and illustrators.

When you're reading a manuscript for the first time, how long does it take you (approximately how many pages, chapters?) to figure out whether it's something you want to pursue?

Ah, writers aren't going to like this answer. For picture books, I can tell by the end of the first manuscript page. For novels, I'd say by five.

Here's my dirty editorial secret: I don't read the cover letter until after I read the manuscript, and then only if I like the story. But when I do read a cover letter, I like to know any relevant publishing experience and perhaps a bit about how or why the manuscript was written. It's also fine, and probably advisable, to keep cover letters brief.

What are the "realities" of children's publishing?

For me, the biggest reality is that publishing is a very inexact science. You can think you know what will sell, but ultimately you have to throw the books against the proverbial wall and hope something sticks.

What is your favorite thing about being a children's book publisher?

I love so much about it: the blend of the creative and the analytical, the opportunity to work with such amazingly gifted individuals, the fact that I can feel good about what I do. Publishing matters. Books matter.

Is there a character you met in a book when you were a child that changed your life?

More recently, Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy did the same thing.

What book(s) are you proudest of having worked on? Why?

As any mother would say, I love all my children equally!

But of course it's true that some projects tend to pull on my attention more than others. Currently I'm quite enamored with one of our spring 2008 books: The Searcher and Old Tree by David McPhail. It's an allegorical tale about parental love and the safety of home, as seen in the relationship between a raccoon and a tree during a storm.

I think I love it so much for two main reasons. One, it was a dream come true to work with David, whose books I have admired for many years. Two, the book is deceptively simple and therefore exemplifies what I love so much about the process of making picture books, i.e. an incredible amount of planning, structure, intellectual energy, and symbolism goes into every decision along the way; yet in the final product, all that work is invisible and subliminal.

Cynsational Notes

Anita Loughrey writes teacher resources and children's non-fiction. Her books have been published by A&C Black, Hopscotch and Brilliant Publications. She also writes regular features for Writers' Forum in the U.K. about authors and the writing industry. She recently interviewed all 32 speakers for 2008's Bologna Conference.The SCBWI Bologna 2008 interview series is brought to you by the SCBWI Bologna Biennial Conference in conjunction with Cynsations.

CY: A photography teacher in college suggested that I check out children's publishing. From day one, I recognized that this is a job that stimulates and satisfies every aspect of my brain.

In your opinion, what makes a good art director?

CY: A good art director understands both the material and the artist and finds a way to get the very best out of them. A good art director knows when and how far to push. A good art director articulates the issues at hand, knows the difference between subjective and objective comments, listens carefully and is open to (good) surprises.

What makes an artist's illustrations stand out for you?

CY: Something that makes me gasp or laugh or fight my way across a crowded room, and then rewards me when I linger to look at the details.

Do you think a website is a useful tool for illustrators to showcase their work? How often do you look at a portfolio online?

CY: I look at websites regularly (at least a few times a week) to find artists, to keep tabs on the competition, and even to look at other work by artists I am currently working with to find solutions to problems.

CY: To balance the needs of the publisher (to publish books that are relevant and profitable) with the needs of the artist (to create something unique) and the needs of a child (to read a story that touches and transforms them).

What is your favorite thing about being an art director?

CY: The most exciting thing is to see an idea grow and develop and end up in a place no one could imagine.

Do you make suggestions for revisions to art work? What sort of suggestions have you made, and how in your opinion have they improved the final product?

CY: Yes, that is one of the most important parts of the job. I look at technical issues like anatomy and perspective. I look at legibility of an image to make sure that it is understandable and conveys the content and intent of the story. I look at expressions, body language, and the palette to make sure they express the emotion of the story. I look at how one scene relates to another to create a narrative.

How would you go about matching an illustrator to an author?

CY: I read the story again and again with the illustrator's work in front of me to match their "voice." Then I see if the strength and weakness of an artist's work will complement the strength and weakness of the story.

How involved in the marketing of the book(s) are you? What is the average marketing budget for a picture book at your house?

CY: Not at all. As an art director, I represent the creative possibilities and would like to be as removed as possible from the merchandising of a book.

Is there an area on your list that you would like to "grow" at this time?

CY: There is a lot of sameness out there. What I crave is an original voice.

What is the ideal art sample submission?

CY: Strong work with no weak links: a distinct style that makes my head swivel, fresh solutions that suggest a lively brain, and enough samples to convince me that the artist can deliver that every time.

Cynsational Notes

Anita Loughrey writes teacher resources and children's non-fiction. Her books have been published by A&C Black, Hopscotch and Brilliant Publications. She also writes regular features for Writers' Forum in the U.K. about authors and the writing industry. She recently interviewed all 31 speakers for 2008's Bologna Conference.

The SCBWI Bologna 2008 interview series is brought to you by the SCBWI Bologna Biennial Conference in conjunction with Cynsations.

Author Laurie Halse Anderson is giving away ARCs of her upcoming book, Chains (Simon & Schuster, 2008) to the next ten people who donate at least $20 to her husband Scot's run in Lake Placid Half Marathon on June 15--honoring Laurie's cousin, Darcy Skinner, who is fighting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Learn more!

Borders explores sale, suspends dividend by Yinka Adegoke and Karen Jacobs from Yahoonews. Here's a sneak peek: "While some analysts raised the possibility of a deal with Barnes & Noble, the company said on Thursday it had not been approached by Borders' investment bankers, but would review a possible acquisition if it were contacted." Source: Pub Rants. Note: yikes.

Beyond The Big Idea by Chris Barton from Bartography. Here's a sneak peek: "In a series of posts, I'm going to use examples of this book's content in a tutorial geared toward my own children--and maybe just right for some that you know--about how to track down more information on a subject covered in a nonfiction book." Don't miss part two, part three, part four, and part five. Note: Chris is the author of several forthcoming picture books, including The Day-Glo Brothers (Charlesbridge), which is "the true story of how young Bob and Joe Switzer invented those eye-popping oranges, yellows, pinks, and greens."

Attention authors, illustrators, and fans of picture book biographies! Author Anne Bustard's blog, Anneographies, highlights picture book biographies by the subject's birthdays. Contact Anne for submissions queries. Read a Cynsations interview with Anne about Anneographies. Here's a sneak peek: "Biographies and I have a special relationship. I chose my college major and, therefore, university based on my favorite biography from elementary school. I wanted to be like Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller's teacher. I ended up switching my major to another field in education, but it was a biography that led my way."

Reminder

The SCBWI Bologna 2008 series is ongoing here at Cynsations! Check back tomorrow for more interviews with authors, illustrators, editors, art directors, agents, and more from the U.S. and around the world.

The series will conclude this week with interviews with Cecilia Young, art director-vice president of Penguin Books U.S., editor Yolanda LeRoy of Charlesbridge, and author Erzsi Deak!

Don't miss today's interview with publishing director Laura Harris of Penguin Australia. Here's a sneak peek: "It is a business, but I think everyone in it is striving for excellence and wants the best for their books and authors. It takes the same effort to make an average book as it does to make a great book, but no one sets out to be average."

NEW YORK, NY--The Children's Book Council (CBC) in association with the CBC Foundation, launches the Children's Choice Book Awards program with the announcement of 25 finalists in five categories. The Children's Choice Book Awards program was created to provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them and to help develop a reading list that will motivate children to read. Children will be able to cast their vote for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at www.BookWeekOnline.com until May 4.

The Children's Choice Book Award winners will be announced live at the Children's Choice Book Award gala on May 13 in New York City as part of Children's Book Week (May 12-18, 2008), the oldest national literacy event in the United States. This initiative is a new component of Children's Book Week and follows on the heels of the appointment of the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, a national program initiated by the Library of Congress and Children's Book Council.

"The program will allow children from across the country to discover what other children like to read," said Robin Adelson, Executive Director at Children's Book Council. "We believe that by empowering children to express their opinions, it will positively impact their perspective and interest in books and bring a renewed excitement to reading."

The finalists were determined from the IRA-CBC Children's Choices program, a joint project of the International Reading Association (IRA) and the CBC since 1975. Publishers submit hundreds of titles to be evaluated and voted on by 10,000 children. The Author and Illustrator of the Year finalists were selected from a review of bestseller lists by the CBC and CBC Foundation.

About the Children's Book Council

The Children's Book Council, established in 1945, is the nonprofit trade association of publishers of trade books for children and young adults in the United States. The CBC promotes the use and enjoyment of trade books for young people, most prominently as the official sponsor of Children's Book Week, the longest running literacy event in the country. The goal of the Children's Book Council is to make the reading and enjoyment of books for young people an essential part of America's educational and social goals, as well as to enhance the public perception of the importance of reading by disseminating information about books for young people and about children's book publishing. The CBC Foundation's "Every Child a Reader" program seeks to harness the collective power of the children's book publishing industry to create a positive social impact in the nation's communities.

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About

New York Times & Publishers Weekly best-selling, award-winning author the Tantalize series, the Feral series and other critically acclaimed fiction for young readers. She/her. MFA Faculty, Vermont College of Fine Arts. Board member, We Need Diverse Books. Ohonvyetv!

Intern

Intern

Robin Galbraith holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Intern

Kate Pentecost holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the YA author of Elysium Girls (Hyperion, winter 2020). Kate is represented by Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties.